Piston and ring



P. LE R. KERSEY.

PISTON AND RING.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-20, 1920.

1,385,556. Patented July 26, 1921.

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ILZZ WJ UNITED STATES PERCY LE ROY KERSEY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

PISTON AND RING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 20, 1920. Serial No. 352,841.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PERCY L. KERSEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Piston and Ring, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improved constructions of pistons and piston rings therefor, adapted for use in internal combustion engines or on any other type of engine or piston or rings suitable for its adaptation.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved spiral piston ring and a novel construction of piston cooperable therewith, so as to retain the ring in position, and permitting contraction and expansion caused by changes in the temperature under compression and exhaust of the gases or propellin or motive force, so as to secure the hi est efiiciency.

ith the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details'of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that within the scope of what is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fragmentary portion of a piston equipped with one form of spiral piston ring;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the ring;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a modified form of piston and ring therefor;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a further modification of piston and ring therefor; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings-in detail, particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a fragmentary ortion of the piston 10, having above its lower or skirt portion, a spirally arranged projection 11 forming an intervening spiral groove or seat 12 for a spiral piston ring 13. The splral raised portion or rib 11 terminates at the bottom in-a shoulder 14 arranged at right angles to the axis of the piston, and a corresponding portion 15 is provided at the compression end of the cylinder and formed solid or closed. The spiral ring has its end portions tapered as shown at 16, the extreme top and bottomfaces of the extremities of the ring being arranged at right angles to the axis thereof, and the spirals being relatively separated, so as to permit it to fit the groove in the piston. The ring is applied by inserting the lower end of the ring over the shoulder 15 and into the groove 12, bein then turned or screwed on by the hands or otherwise, very little pressure being necessary to cause the ring to be turned into. position. It should also be noted that the upper end of the ring will snap into position over the shoulder or uppermost rib 15, the ring being loosely locked in position on the piston. An extra groove or grooves is allowed on the piston for freedom of turning and spiral play of the ring, thereby facilitating ex pansion and contraction during the reciprocation of the piston in use.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the piston 17 is provided with a groove 18 and an uppermost rib or shoulder 19 having a tapered portion 20 extending to the upper edge of the piston and having its extremity spaced from the rib proper, to provide an entrance opemng 21. They end of the rib 19 produces a shoulder 22, which is beveled inwardly, so that when the piston ring 23 is turned or screwed in the position through the opening 21 and beneath the tapered portion 20, the extremit 24 of the ring will be held beneath the ri and should it engage the beveled portion 22, it will be deflected inwardly, thereby preventing the same from being dis placed from the groove. In. this instance, as well as in the foregoing description of the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the top and bottom ends of the ring are arranged at right angles to the axis of the piston and ring, thus properly fitting against the top and bottom shoulders formed by the groove in question, thus insuring proper seating of the ring and 1ts retention against twistmg or portioning when in use. B this means, excessive wear on the interior 0 the cylinder is prevented.

It will thus be seen that the ring is automatically locked in position when turned or screwed in the groove and it cannot be taken out until one end of the ring is raised over the shoulder or rib 15 or entered between the rib portions 19 and 20 in the form of the in- 110 Patented July 26', 1921.

vention shown in Fig. 3, and passed through the opening or slot 21 and described in connection therewith.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, further means are provided for retaining the ring in position, the ring being automatically snapped into position against displacement. In this form, the piston 26 is provided with a groove 27 above the skirt portion thereof and near the compression or head end of the piston, thus producing a shoulder or rib 28 at the upper end. The wall of the groove 27 is provided with a Well or depression 29 and the ring 30 is of spiral formation, and provided with a spur or offset 31 at one end, designed to project at the inside and to drop into the well or depression so as to retain the ring in position when mounted on the piston in the manner described in connection with the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. It is also to be understood that the offset or spur 31 is formed preferably as an integral part of the ring, the ring in each instance being of spring steel or like resilient material.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a very desirable form of piston ring, which will form an effective unbroken joint between the piston and the interior wall of the cylinder, servin vent leakage of oil and gases, the oil passing upwardly between the piston and the cylinto preder into combustion chamber in such a manner as to cause excessive formation of carbon, and the gases downward into the crank case causing a loss of power, in the power stroke, as Well as a decreased pressure in the compression stroke, and in order to insure the highest degree of compression and solidity of working surface making greater efficiency by increased power, saving in fuel, and absence of side play in the piston.

Having thus described the inventiomwhat I claim is:

A piston having a circumscribing groove defining an end flange and a shoulder, there being an opening extended through the flange; and a spiral ring surrounding the piston between the flange and the shoulder, the opening constituting means whereby the ring may be threaded 1nto the groove, the flange being beveled in opposite directions, on opposite sides of the opening, to deflect one end of the ring into the groove when the ring is rotated in one direction, and to deflect the other end of the ring into the groove when the ring is rotated in an opposite direction.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my oWn,'I have hereto aflixed my slgnature in the presence of two witnesses.

PERCY LE ROY KERSEY.

\Vitnesses W. G. LECKNER, W. L. Gunss. 

